Thursday, September 15, 2016

“It is sad to see pastors turn into princes who are out of touch with people”

“It is sad for the Church when pastors turn into princes who are out of
touch with people and the destitute…”

At today’s General Audience in St.
Peter’s Square Pope Francis recalled Jesus’ invitation to those who are
“weary and oppressed” and those who “have no resources of their own or
friends in high places to help them”. Jesus offers them “comfort”.

The
Pope went through the three invitations Jesus extends to people: (“Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”…),
“Come to me”, “take my yoke upon you” and “learn from me”. “If only
world leaders could say this!” Francis remarked.

“Addressing
the weary and oppressed, Jesus presents Himself as the Lord’s Servant,
as described in the Book of Isaiah” and “the Gospel often groups the
discouraged, the poor and the little ones together. All of them lack
resources of their own or friends in high places to help them. The only
one they can trust in is God. Aware of their own humble and miserable
condition, they know they can depend on the mercy of the Lord, aware
that he is the only one who can help them. Their expectations receive a
response in Jesus’ invitation: by becoming his disciples they receive
the promise of finding comfort for the rest of their life,” a promise
that is extended “to all peoples” at the end of the Gospel. This is
evident from all the pilgrims who are marking the Jubilee of Mercy by
passing through the holy doors of cathedrals, churches across the world
and also “hospitals and prisons” because they find that “comfort which
only Jesus is able to offer,” Francis said.

Through his
words “take my yoke upon you”, Francis explained, “Jesus goes against
the Scribes and the Pharisees and places his yoke on his disciples. In
this yoke, the Law is fulfilled. Jesus wishes to teach them that they
will discover God’s will through Him, not through laws and a set of cold
rules that Jesus Himself condemns.”

Finally, “Jesus is not a
strict teacher who imposes burdens on others, which he himself does not
bear; this is the accusation he made against the doctors of the law. He
addresses the humble and the small because he himself became small and
humble. He understands the poor and the suffering, because he himself is
poor and tested by pain. Saving humanity wasn’t a walk in the park for
Jesus; on the contrary, the path he took was a painful and difficult
one. The yoke which the poor and oppresses bear is the same yoke he
carried before them: hence it is a light yoke. He shouldered the pains
and sins of all humanity”. Jesus “was close to everyone, to the
destitute, he was a pastor who lived among the people, among the poor,
working all day long with them, Jesus was no prince…it is sad,” the Pope
added in an off-the-cuff comment, “when pastors turn into princes who
are out of touch with people and the poor. This is not in line with the
spirit of Jesus, it was these pastors Jesus reprimanded and the pastors
Jesus referred to when he would tell people: do what they tell you but
not what they do.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, we too go
through moments of weariness and disappointment,” the Pope concluded.
“During such times, let us remember these words of the Lord, which offer
us comfort and help us to understand whether we are striving for what
is good. Sometimes, we become weary because we have placed our faith in
things that lack importance, because we have lost touch with what is
really important in life.” “Let us not lose the joy of being the Lord’s
disciples. ‘But father, I am a sinner…’: let yourself go in Jesus, feel
his mercy upon you and your heart will overflow with joy and
forgiveness. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the hope of
living this life with Him, with the strength of his comfort.”